1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to aircraft and, in particular, to operating aircraft. Still more particularly, the present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for training operators to perform a sequence of operations for a task for operating an aircraft.
2. Background
In learning to operate an aircraft, pilots go through flight training. Flight training is a course of study that may include various types of training. For example, pilots may attend classroom lessons, use flight simulators, and fly aircraft under the supervision of experienced pilots. Flight training may be performed for new pilots learning to fly an aircraft or for experienced pilots learning to fly a new aircraft.
Part of learning to operate an aircraft includes learning a sequence of operations to perform a task. This sequence of operations may take the form of a flow, a procedure, a memory item, and other types of tasks. Some sequences of operations may be short and straight forward, while other sequences of operations may be longer and more complex.
Currently, pilots learn flows, procedures, memory items, and other tasks using paper materials. For example, a pilot may use a poster of an aircraft in which the poster is a mock-up of controls in the cockpit of the aircraft. The pilot may sit in a chair and visualize manipulating the different controls depicted on the poster to perform flows and procedures.
For example, a pilot may take a sheet of paper with a list of operations for a memory item for an engine fire. This list is used by the pilot with a paper mock-up of aircraft panels to go through the list of operations. This list of operations includes, for example, identifying the affected engine, pulling the thrust lever, moving the start/stop selector to “stop”, pulling the fire extinguishing handle, and other operations.
The pilot performs this sequence of operations for the memory item by reading the operations and placing the pilot's hands over the item on the poster. This type of practice, however, does not provide a desired level of interaction with the controls. Oftentimes, a transition from this type of mock-up to a simulator may be difficult.
Although this type of practice may help a pilot remember the sequence of operations to perform for a flow, procedure, or memory item, this type of learning is often more time-consuming than desired. For example, many pilots may learn sequences of procedures faster when actually manipulating controls in the cockpit to perform the sequence of operations for a task. Repetition of this type of movement in a cockpit setting allows for a pilot to eventually perform the sequence of operations more quickly, and/or with less thought or concentration.
In flight training, a full flight simulator may be used to artificially recreate flight in various aspects of the flight environment. This type of flight simulator provides a physical replica of the cockpit with different controls that may be touched and manipulated by the pilot. Manipulation of these controls provides feedback that would occur if the controls were manipulated in the actual aircraft.
Using full flight simulators to learn sequences of operations may be more expensive than desired. As a result of this expense, a pilot may not learn flows and procedures until the first simulator lesson occurs. Therefore, it would be desirable to have a method and apparatus that takes into account at least some of the issues discussed above, as well as other possible issues.